NetWork Kansas E-Community Loan Program
NetWork Kansas (Kansas Center for Entrepreneurship)
Up to $50,000 per business
Kansas community gap-financing loans
The E-Community Loan Program is a locally administered gap-financing program operated through NetWork Kansas partnerships in participating Kansas communities. Selected communities establish a local loan fund, and NetWork Kansas provides matching loan capital to help entrepreneurs start, buy, or expand a business. The maximum E-Community loan is $50,000 or less per business, and E-Community funds may make up no more than 60% of a project's total financing — the rest must come from a bank, credit union, or other public/private capital source. The program has grown from six communities in 2007 to dozens across Kansas, and has deployed over $21.5 million while leveraging roughly $99.2 million in additional capital. Loans are reviewed and approved by a local E-Community financial review committee before NetWork Kansas administers them.
- Funding type
- Loan
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- Up to $50,000 per business
- Realistic amount
- Typical E-Community loans run from roughly $10,000 up to the $50,000 cap, sized to fill the …
- Deadline
- Rolling — applications are reviewed by each local E-Community financial committee on its own schedule.
- Status
- active
- States
- Kansas
- Payment model
- loan
Who qualifies
- For-profit business located in a participating Kansas E-Community
- Project is a startup, a business transfer of ownership, or an existing business expansion
- Must pair the loan with bank/credit-union or other public/private capital (E-Community funds capped at 60% of total project)
- Not eligible: nonprofits, academic institutions, gambling, speculative ventures, lending/investment institutions, multilevel-marketing/pyramid sales
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Startup costs
- Business acquisition / transfer of ownership
- Expansion of an existing business
- Equipment and working capital
- Real estate and facility improvements (gap portion)
Ineligible expenses
- Projects for nonprofits or academic institutions
- Gambling or speculative ventures
- Lending or investment institution activities
- Multilevel-marketing or pyramid-sales businesses
How to apply
-
1
Find your local E-Community
Confirm your business is in a participating Kansas E-Community and contact the local E-Community office for its specific application and committee process.
~2 hrs
-
2
Line up primary financing and match
Secure the bank/credit-union or other public/private financing that the E-Community loan will supplement (E-Community funds can cover at most 60% of the project).
~8 hrs
-
3
Submit the local application
Complete and submit the local E-Community loan application with business plan, financials, and evidence of the matching capital by the committee's deadline.
~8 hrs
-
4
Local committee review and NetWork Kansas administration
The local E-Community financial committee reviews and approves on-time, complete applications; approved deals are forwarded to NetWork Kansas, which administers the loan.
~3 hrs
Treat this as gap financing, not your primary loan — bring a bank or credit union to the table first, because E-Community dollars can cover at most 60% of the project. Build the relationship with your local E-Community office early; the local financial committee decides, so a champion who knows your business helps.
Deadline & timing
There is no statewide deadline. Each participating E-Community runs its own intake and review committee; applicants apply through their local E-Community office. Availability depends on which Kansas community the business is located in.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.